Never Drink With Dragonologists
by Muggle Jane
Summary: There were those apple-things, and now Angelina can't find her clothes. Written for Kelly for GGE2014


**A/N: I don't own the characters, etc. Written for Kelly for GGE2014!**

_But it's not a date, right?_

That exact question, she'd asked it just the evening before, seemed to echo through the haze in Angelina's head. She muted her groan just in time, cracking one eye open to see what exactly was waiting for her that morning. _Who_ was waiting for her that morning.

The bed beside her was empty, the pillow still creased and the blankets still disturbed as though it had been vacated not too long ago. She didn't bother muting her groan this time. At least there would be a slight reprieve this morning.

The groan was a bad idea. Her head was pounding. Her mouth tasted like one of George's pygmy puffs had crawled inside and died. Last night...

_Just come out for a drink with us. You keep saying you never see me anymore. And George is coming, Charlie said, you can catch up._

Katie. Katie had issued the invitation just as Angelina was getting ready to go home from work. The decision to go out with her friend and the redheaded Weasley her friend was seeing wasn't Katie's fault. The apple-flavoured whatever-that-had-been that tasted like pie and went down just as easily, until you suddenly realized that the room was tilting, _that_ had been Katie's fault. What had happened next... That was a bit muddled up, but there was no mistaking the ridiculously chartreuse duvet cover that was making her headache just that much worse, nor the fact that she was still very, exceedingly, naked.

She forced her eyes all the way open, fighting the glare from the duvet. There was a potion sitting out on the night table. At least he was considerate, potential awkwardness aside.

_Angelina? Well, you look..._

George had trailed off instead of finishing his sentence, but the appreciation in his eyes had been clear. Angelina hadn't seen him in a year or two, but Charlie had evidently talked him into going out for a drink the same way Katie had with her.

And it had been a good night. Definitely fun. George had been in a pretty good mood, and Charlie had been incorrigible, and together they'd had Katie and Angelina in stitches all night long.

Laughing over drinks had turned into dancing, which had turned into a lot of kissing, which had turned into, well, this morning.

Angelina reached out and picked up the vial, thumbing it open and pouring the contents down her throat. It tasted just about as bad as the wet cotton that had used to be her tongue did, but it started working almost right away. The duvet stopped being quite so offensive, the room stopped spinning, and her head felt almost normal again.

Where were her clothes? A sharp look around the room turned up nothing. Something about... The stairs. In the shop. Her trousers were in the shop. She groaned again.

The scent of tea came in through the partially open door, beckoning to her. George had always liked his tea especially strong. George's shirt was across one of the bedposts, and there were her pants... on the top of the door? Better than in the shop.

She pulled herself out of bed and put on George's shirt and yesterday's knickers, and followed the smell out to the kitchen.

"Morning." The slightly drawn-out greeting came from over by the sink, where George was standing, teacup in one hand, muffin in the other. He was eating over the sink to avoid more dishes. Angelina had to smile. She did the same thing sometimes. "Cups are above the teapot, muffins are on the table."

"Thanks. For the potion, my head..." Shaking her head slightly, she started getting her own breakfast.

"Charlie's been drinking the rest of us under the table for longer than I can remember. Even Bill." He was grinning, gesturing with his muffin- he probably should have got himself a plate. But it was his flat.

It wasn't as awkward as she'd thought it would be. It was George, just George, and she'd known George for years. She'd looked across the table at him over tea and muffins for years. That seemed a little weird, but it was definitely better than a morning of strained silence and avoiding looking at other until her clothes were found and she could scurry out into the rain.

She settled into one of the two chairs at the small kitchen table. "So-"

"I-" he started saying at the same time, and they both broke off.

"You first."

"Go ahead." They spoke again and laughed, any lingering tension completely gone.

"No, you go first," she told him, sitting back in her chair, her finger tracing over the handle on the teacup.

"I had a good time," he said, running his hand over the top of his red hair, worn slightly long to hide the missing ear.

"I did too."

"You sound surprised." He was teasing her now, following his statement up with a cheeky wink.

She grinned, shaking her head again. "I had my doubts when Katie suggested it, because she's been after me to get together with someone so that she and Charlie would have another couple to get out with, and we haven't seen each other in a while. I didn't think we'd end up..."

"Me neither. But it was good." Self-doubt he'd never had before showed up in his face. "It was good, yeah?"

"I just said I had a good time. I mean, what I can remember." Her eyebrow lifted meaningfully. "We should do it again."

He seemed grateful that her own confidence hadn't faltered. "Definitely."

"Just less of whatever that apple stuff Katie had me drinking." She took a drink of her tea. "You haven't happened to have seen my shirt, have you?"


End file.
